Dauntless – Lyran desert camouflage pattern
Dauntless – Lyran snow camouflage pattern
Conceptualisation:
“Dauntless” is the Lyran Protectorate's range of ballistic armors. Designed for all forms of conflict, and to be practical in any situation, “Dauntless” provides a number of alternate solutions that can be selected according to the theatre of operations ranging from the ultra-lightweight class III-equivalent 'Arachne' to the super-resistance medium-weight class IV+ combined armour.
Background and development
Armour, in the abstract, is not new, or even close to it. Ever since man wrapped himself in animal skins to protect himself from someone next to him, there has been armour. As weapon capabilities increased, armour kept pace to match, and the trend continued for thousands of years.
With the advent of firearms, however, altered this situation. Within a relatively short period of time, the mobility cost of wearing heavy armour no longer justified its protective qualities, when pitted against musketry. Armour left the battlefield.
In the 20th century armour made something of a return. From the early days of the first world war, soldiers on both sides of the conflict were issued protective headgear. Helmets were the first element of armour to make its return to the battlefield, primarily with the intention of shielding the head from ricochets and shrapnel. Initial forays into body armour was less successful, with the protection of limited utility, and the weight prohibitive.
Over time, this changed. The advent of synthetic or semi-synthetic compounds that were both light and strong brought down the weight of body armour considerably, and by the last decade of the 20th century, ballistic protection was improving by leaps and bounds. During the aftermath of the second gulf war, coalition forces within Iraq issued body armour to their soldiers as standard, and, since that point, the trend has continued.
As would be predicted, however, the firearms and tactics have adapted to match. Increased use of high-velocity armour-piercing (or frangible) ammunition, explosives and higher-calibre weapons has, in many ways, pushed the balance back the other way. Personnel within many armies are, once more, eschewing the use of body armour as too bulky and restrictive, and thus actually increasing their chance of being hit or killed.
Into this situation, Lyras decided to act. Painfully aware of the enormous expense in time and resources that each Lyran soldier represented, Warmarshal Krell directed the Protectorate Research and Development Commission to research, design and develop a range of ballistic armour that would be practical to use, as unrestrictive as possible, and offer unparalleled protection against existing and predicted threats.
Research was, undoubtedly, the largest, longest and most labour-intensive element of the requirement. While no doubt a rapidly developing and growing field of study, modern ballistic protection was still very much in its early stages of development. Semi-resistant fabrics held heavy, bulky ceramic plates in place over vital areas, and mobility, both through weight and movement restriction, suffered as protection increased. Very quickly, the individual soldier's combat load was becoming very difficult to manage. Dyneema/Kevlar/Spectra-based products were effective, of that there was no doubt, but methods for increasing protective capabilities so as to greatly decrease weight were sought.
Two primary fields emerged as the areas of greatest interest, in 'hard' and 'soft' armour categories respectively. Hard body armour is made out of thick ceramic or metal plates, functions basically the same way as the iron suits worn by medieval knights; it is hard enough that a bullet or other weapon is deflected. That is, the armour material pushes out on the bullet with the same force (or nearly the same force) with which the bullet pushes in, so the armour is not penetrated.
Typically, hard body armour offers more protection than soft body armour, but it is much more cumbersome. Police officers and military personnel may wear this sort of protection when there is high risk of attack, but for everyday use they generally wear soft body armor, flexible protection that you wear like an ordinary shirt or jacket.
For hard armour, the field of investigation was the area of inorganic fullerenes; tubular or spherical nanocomposites of tungsten disulfide in particular. First proposed as a ballistic protection by the Israeli-based ApNano corporation, research into tungsten disulfide had proceeded independently for some time, despite considerable interest from a large number of national military and police forces. The Protectorate Research and Development Commission entering into an information-sharing agreement with the group in late 2006. A manufacturer of other high-strength armour-ceramic materials, such as boron carbide and silicon carbide, ApNano's research showed tungsten disulfide granting at least twice the protection level of equivalent mass boron carbide, between 4 and 5 times stronger than steel, and 6 times the strength of kevlar.
The second area of interest was the development of synthetic aciniform spidersilk. The use of synthetic spider silk to replace current materials in a host of applications has, until recently, been a step too far for materials science. In 2000, however, man-made spider silk moved a step nearer with the news that Canadian-based Nexia Biotechnologies Inc and the US Army Soldier Biological Chemical Command had collaborated to spin the world’s first man-made spider silk. Its commercial production has been something of a holy grail for materials scientists for many years, not least because it is known to be tougher, in terms of energy required to break, and less dense, than steel or Kevlar. As with the information sharing agreement with ApNano, a multi-billion dollar research grant provided by the Lyran Protectorate Research and Development Commission facilitated the joint-venture. Preliminary findings suggest that a strand of synthetic aciniform spider silk can be up to 20 times stronger than an equivalent strand of steel.
Importantly, it is also possible to combine tungsten disulfide nanotubes with other substances in order to expand the range of capabilities. For instance, mixing IF with highly elastic materials can lead to new compounds which are both flexible and shock-absorbing. These properties position tungsten-disulfide/synthetic aciniform spider silk materials as one of the best candidates for contemporary military-grade protective equipment and armour.
Manufacturing processes;
“Dauntless” is not a single grade of armour or homogenous material. Rather, it is an adaptable system designed to meet the diverse protection and mobility needs of combat soldiers. Capacity for adding additional protection is very much present within the system, allowing the individual end-user or subunit to determine the most combat effective configuration for any given circumstance.
In general terms, the armour is composed of two elements, the hard and soft components. The base level of the armour is the soft components, designed not to stop a round at any given point, but to disperse the impact over as broad an area as possible. The material used for this purpose is anciniform silk from spiders of the Nephila genus, specifically Nephila Maticulata, the Giant Wood Spider. It is worth noting, at this point, that anciniform silk is considerably stronger than that used for spinning webs, and is used primarily for securing prey once captured.
Farming spiders has been attempted, in the past, but with extremely limited success, and at very high labour cost. Spiders are predatory and unabashedly cannibalistic. Initial forays into attempts to generate spider silk through other means have been many and varied, with the first attempts (from Nexia biotechnologies) being by way of genetically modifying goats, in order to secrete the correct proteins in their milk, which would then be brought together in the appropriate fibrous form for weaving into ultra-high strength silk.
The method, while successful in principle, did have a number of flaws. Chief amongst them was the very large number of goats required to produce industrially feasible quantities of the genetically modified proteins. Specifically, it would take 200 goats to make a single vest in a day... an impractical solution for a state such as Lyras, where every single man, woman and child of a population greater than 5 billion would require body armour.
Subsequent attempts to gene-splice the required sequences into silkworms was, however, a resounding success, with the process moving beyond the ADF-3 and ADF-4 proteins that constitute the required spider silk, and into organic production of the silk itself.
Silkworms extruding spider silk, enlarged.
At a stroke the vast majority of extant problems of farming industrial or commercial quantities of spider silk were solved, and the material became feasible. Rates of production for the substance continue to increase, as the Protectorate both seeks to armour its own populace, and concurrently attempts to generate inventory for distribution through export.
Once spun, the silk is woven into protective clothing in the same manner as clothing anywhere. The fibres mesh well, and fibrous internal friction is low while elasticity and tensile strength both remain very high, allowing for exceptionally good multi-shot resistance, particularly so when compared to other soft armours. The fibres, unusually, become proportionally stronger as they get thinner, and research and implementation quickly established what spiders established millions of years ago, that weaving 100 thin fibres into a silken strand is almost 60% stronger than an equivalent width single strand, while utilising (approximately) only 80% of the material mass. Also, critically, spider silk has a biphasic modulus – when initially subjected to force it is very stiff, like Kevlar, but just before the yield point it becomes very elastic, like Nylon. It also undergoes hysteresis, so if released from tension it comes back into shape. Upon the completion of the armour or garment, various coatings are applied in the conventional sense, such as anti-UV protective coatings and Xylane waterproofing.
Spider silk is also, when compared to alternative ballistic-grade fibres, extremely comfortable, being smooth, lightweight and breathable. When the properties are simultaneously taken into account, some of the potential of the substance becomes readily apparent.
The second element of the armour's protection are its 'hard' components, the sections designed to outright stop incoming projectiles. Where previously this required the existence and implementation of extremely bulky ceramic plates (or similar), “Dauntless” has implemented the first widescale application of inorganic fullerenes in the form of tungsten disulfide (WS2) within ballistic armours.
In contrast to organic (carbon-based) Fullerenes, WS2 is easier and much less expensive to produce, is chemically stable and is dramatically less reactive and less flammable. Organic fullerenes are also considered to be highly toxic, whereas WS2, like most other inorganic fullerenes, is not. As WS2 forms, it does so in layers, much like graphite, which is - along with diamond - one of two common forms carbon takes in nature. In WS2, molecules are bonded in trigonal prismatic layers, similar to MoS2. These form flat layers that are stacked on top of one another like sheets of paper.
When making nanotubes, the process, in essence, takes individual layers and folds them over so they join at either edge to form cylinders. Illustration is provided below.
In an interview recorded in late 2005, Dr. Menachem Genut, ApNano CEO, explained that the company was moving into semi-industrial manufacturing within the next six months producing between 100-200 kilograms of the material per day, gradually moving to full-scale industrial production by 2007, which lead to the production of several tons each day. Although it was difficult to determine the exact price of the "nano-armor" when in full industrial production, given the cost of the original materials and the relatively low production costs, Dr. Genut stated (in 2005) that a kilogram of the new material will cost considerably less than a similar amount of the carbon-based Fullerenes. As at the time of interview, the company was optimistic that with some external financial backing it will be possible to have the first product ready in less then three years.
The Lyran Protectorate was more than happy to provide such backing, which it did to the tune of NS$18 billion. That investment has reaped the requisite rewards, with multiple manufacturing complexes now devoted to production of the materials required for the production of “Dauntless”.
Signature reduction
“Dauntless” provides the highest level of signature reduction of any body armour released onto the market to date, borrowing as it does from the innovations introduced in the still-new Lyran Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform (LDPCUs), which was itself designed with the ongoing development and anticipated completion of “Dauntless” in mind.
To that end, infra-red suppression, carried out in parallel to that provided by the LDPCUs, was determined to be of paramount importance. As hinted in an interview with then-Major McReedy, who was the assistant project manager and military technical advisor to the LDPCU program, the Protectorate Research and Development Commission was examining means of transferring the IR-suppressive techniques over to other applications.
The final decision was, in retrospect, painfully simple. All body armour, after manufacture, is provided with a fabric covering layer, coloured in a pattern appropriate to the intended area of use. For “Dauntless”, the Research and Development Commission took this idea further, providing for the fitting of one of any number of after-manufacture camouflage covers, to be applied over the armour. These fabric covers utilise the same multi-spectral camouflage adaptations pioneered for use on the LDPCUs, and provides for dramatically reduced visibility when seen through 3rd or 4th generation night vision or thermal imaging equipment.
By means of illustration, the figure on the right is wearing the new IR-suppressed LDPCU uniform the other one is wearing the old-style ACU. While no photographs of personnel in “Dauntless” were available, the technology applied is identical. This photo was taken from a distance of 12 metres.
LDPCU coverings to the “Dauntless” body armour are NOT to be starched, as starch can cause discolouration, and interferes with the IR-suppression properties. This will enhance the IR signature, making the uniform brighter when viewed with night vision goggles. Further, strong detergents may discolour the uniform, and again may react to neutralise the IR-suppression.
LDPCU fabric coverings are also not to be ironed, as the extensive heat application may damage the fibrous chemical treatment. If washing is required (as it will be, at some point), cold machine wash, and drip dry where possible.
Modularity
The Lyran Protectorate has, for some time, been issuing chest webbing as standard, featuring (as many other nations' chest webbing also features) velcro and plastic straps and clips so as to secure equipment to the person. The 'Dauntless' armour takes this a step further, with the armour itself able to accept the various equipment pouches and containers required by a combatant, with the armour insert pouches themselves able to double as containers, if not used to carry the additional armour.
Most internationally standard attachments should have no issue fitting to 'Dauntless', and if there are issues, custom fits can be arranged free of charge.
Protective qualities
Protective qualities of “Dauntless” are divided, again, into hard and soft armour for individual analysis, and a synopsis will be provided at the conclusion.
In mid-2005, research into WS2 was conducted at the University of Nottingham, England. A sample of the material was subjected to severe shocks, from a steel projectile moving at speeds of up to 1.5 km/second. The tungsten disulfide withstood the impacts of up to 250 tons per square centimeter. This is approximately equivalent to dropping four diesel locomotives onto an area the size of ones fingernail. During the test the material proved to be so strong that after the impact the samples remained essentially unchanged, when compared to the original material. Additionally, a recent study by Prof. J. M. Martin from Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France tested the new material under isostatic pressure and found it to be stable up to at least 350 tons/cm2
Tungsten disulfide is relatively heavy, however and for that reason the plates utilising WS2 are substantially thinner than their -carbide equivalents. Further, due to the purpose of the research being to lower the body armour weight, not increase it, the plates were made thinner to the point of being lighter than their predecessors. Given the greatly superior ballistic protection offered by WS2, however, the plates, despite being considerably thinner and lighter, offer dramatically improved protective performance. This is achieved by using WS2 backed by the lighter boron carbide. The impact resistance of the WS2 is utilised to blunten the impact of the projectile, and 'decap' inbound rounds, while the backing absorbs the remainder of the kinetic energy, and continues to distribute the energy while keeping weight low.
For the purposes of reference, the table below details the official body armour levels, as defined by the U.S. National Institute of Justice, Standard 0101.04.
Armor Level
Type I
(.22 LR; .380 ACP)
This armor protects against 22 calibre Long Rifle Lead Round Nose (LR LRN) bullets, with nominal masses of 2.6 g (40 gr) at a reference velocity of 329 m/s (1080 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and .380 ACP Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 6.2 g (95 gr) at a reference velocity of 322 m/s (1055 ft/s ± 30 ft/s)
Type IIA
(9 mm; .40 S&W)
This armor protects against 9 mm Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr) at a reference velocity of 341 m/s (1120 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and .40 S&W calibre Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets, with nominal masses of 11.7 g (180 gr) at a reference velocity of 322 m/s (1055 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Type I].
Type II
(9 mm; .357 Magnum)
This armor protects against 9 mm Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr) at a reference velocity of 367 m/s (1205 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and 357 Magnum Jacketed Soft Point (JSP) bullets, with nominal masses of 10.2 g (158 gr) at a reference velocity of 436 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I and IIA].
Type IIIA
(High Velocity 9 mm; .44 Magnum)
This armor protects against 9 mm Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr) at a reference velocity of 436 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) and .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets, with nominal masses of 15.6 g (240 gr) at a reference velocity of 436 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides protection against most handgun threats, as well as the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, and II].
Type III
(Rifles)
This armor protects against 7.62 mm Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets (U.S. Military designation M80), with nominal masses of 9.6 g (148 gr) at a reference velocity of 847 m/s (2780 ft/s ± 30 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, II, and IIIA].
Type IV
(Armour Piercing Rifle)
This armor protects against .30 calibre armour piercing (AP) bullets (U.S. Military designation M2 AP), with nominal masses of 10.8 g (166 gr) at a reference velocity of 878 m/s (2880 ft/s ± 30 ft/s). It also provides at least single hit protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, II, IIIA, and III].
There are, at present, three general classes of protection offered. The first is the spider-silk only torso and leggings, known as 'Arachne' for ease of differentiation, and rated to level IIIA. This armour is designed specifically to be very comfortably and uninhibiting in movement or weight, and fits easily under clothing, or under the second type of armour. 'Arachne' is breathable, lightweight, and available for purchase by any supernational, national, paranational or private entity. 'Arachne' weighs in at 2.3kg, although is less than a third the bulk of an equivalent weight of kevlar.
The second and third classes of protection under the 'Dauntless' armour share the primary component, that being the ballistic vest itself. Made from a soft armour base composed of the same material as the 'Arachne', the 'Dauntless' system itself is thicker, with more layers of the same substance, and features a number of zip-closed, velcro-covered pockets into which are inserted the WS2/boron-carbide composite plates. The degree of protection delivered is modular... the more protection required, the more plates can be inserted. With the addition of the composite plates, the armour is rated at level IV+, the plus being indicative of the fact that the official chart only goes up that far. The system has been tested as providing at least single hit protection against 12.7 x 99mm fire at ranges outside 150m. Expect a whopping great bruise, however, and to be knocked clean off your feet and possibly backwards a couple of metres. Use of a helmet is advised to avoid secondary damage.
The 'Dauntless' vest weighs 6.1kg on its own, and, when all inserts are added, weighs 15.5kg.
Pushing up to the third level is achieved by means off combining both layers, with the 'Arachne' worn underneath the 'Dauntless' vest. The level of protection offered by this multi-layered approach is, as would be expected, fairly high. Total weight would thereby reach 17.7kg, and is not recommended for long distance dismounted operations.
Available in conjunction are upper arm and upper leg protection, with the upper arms rated at III, and legs rated at IV.
Export
'Dauntless' and its 'Arachne' sub-set together represent a significant move forward in contemporary armour technology. It provides dismounted infantry with flexible high-grade protection for the modern battlespace. It is, however, not cheap, as reflects the nature of the product. Also, it is proprietary technology, and Lyran Arms DOES NOT offer DPRs to non-allied states.
Examples of the armour are available at the following cost;
'Arachne' vest; NS$4,900
'Dauntless' vest; NS$6,200
WS2/Boron carbide inserts; NS$7,400
'Dauntless' and inserts; NS$13,200
'Arachne' + 'Dauntless' + inserts; NS$18,000
Special considerations are available, as per Executive Command decision, to TPF, Asgarnieu, the Federal Republic of Hamilay, Verenberg, Errikland, Bomble, Varessa, Mokastana, the Revolutionary Commonwealth of Wagdog, Lamoni, Dictatorial Republic of Sumer, and select other nations.
Purchases are made through Lyran Arms.
UPDATE, 24 AUG 2008
In accordance with Executive Command sanctioned analysis and directives, 'Dauntless' Ballistic Armour, and its derivatives, is NOT AVAILABLE to states not in strategic partnership with the Lyran Protectorate, in one form or another. Lyran Arms, as a subsidiary unit to the Governmental Trade Department, is contactable for questions, and reserves the right to refer to Executive Command in the case of dispute. Pre-existing purchases are recognised, and customer support will continue, despite export restrictions.
References
Online sources only listed... hard copy source list available on request.
Super-strong body armour; nanotubes and their production
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7038686.stm
Protecting the soldiers of tomorrow (published February 15, 2006)
http://www.isracast.com/article.aspx?id=28
Synthetic spider silk
http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1543
National Geographic, 2005; Transgenic goats and Biosteel
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... der_2.html
Wikipedia – Body Armour
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_armor
Wikipedia - Tungsten Disulfide (How could one not?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten_disulfide
Wikipedia – Spider silk (Again, how could one not?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_silk
Advances in ballistic armour research:
http://illumin.usc.edu/article.php?articleID=156&page=4
MOAA, 2003 on connections between US Army Materiel Command and Nexia
http://www.moaa.org/magazine/January...erwarriors.asp
Nephila Maculata – Webs of Steel; the Giant Wood Spider
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/inverts/nephila.htm
Synthesis of spidersilk from transgenic goats – a periodical;
http://www.gene.ch/genet/2004/Jan/msg00026.html
Basic Ballistics, Anthony Williams © 2008.
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/ballistics.htm
Digital Dutch Unit Converter
http://www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter/energy.htm
Yanitarian BDUs
Finding Inspiration in Spider Silk Fibres
http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM...ices-0502.html
